at the beginning of third year term! Katherine May who i did work experience with over summer invited me to join her to help out with a work shop she was doing over the schools half term break at Dalston Gardens.

being outside in the end of October wasn't the best venue to be stitching, you would think!

but the garden, environment and atmosphere was lovely. with cups of tea brought regularly to us by a lovely lady who run the place. she had set up different workshops throughout the half term break for kids to join in for free; the following day they were pumpkin carving!

we hung bits of fabric and samples so the children and the grown ups could choose and get ideas from.

Katherine had a simple class which taught you the basics of patch work

for squares stitched together with garden inspired fabrics to create a little cabbage patch.

i helped cut up the squares and prepare the needles and threads and the basic kits needed for people to come and join in.

some of the children were very little and young, and one little girl who i sat with who was around 6 had never sewn before, because they wasn't allowed needles in school!

any ways she was a natural and was in a deep trance stitching away until she finished it, and her mum even took the materials away with her to try one her self.

after stitching the squares together Katherine then showed how you quilted it with the wadding and a back and the different stitches and patterns you can do to hold it all together.

because it was open to the public there was a lovely mix of people of all ages and some characters!

i loved working with the children and got a real enjoyment out of it seeing them walk away with something they had made and proud of.